Today the CP+ show opened its doors in Japan and the D800 will be on display - see the first image of the Nikon booth. I will have several readers sending me images and reports from the show and I will post them online in the next few days.

Nikon D800 is expected to start shipping on March 18th, 2012 for the US.

Nikon D800 was ready for release in the first half of 2011 but the disasters in Japan and Thailand caused the delay. This image by Rob Van Petten for example was probably taken on July 1st 2011. How do I know? Because of the Empire State Building light patterns - on that date the Empire State was lit with what they refer to as private lighting (blue, lavender, and purple). See the Empire State Building lighting schedule.

Now the ISO peepers and 36MP haters found something new to bitch about—the cost of grip.

If you want others to believe you are holding a D4 instead of D800, just get a aftermarket one, from 3ft. away, no one can tell the differences.

If you really need it for work, then just buy it and charge to your clients!

The rest of you, we don’t need your 2 cents!

Hhom Togan

I prefer to tell everyone they are paying 3,000 bucks for a camera that has the same pixel pitch of a 1,199 bucks camera (D7000)

The look on their faces thinking about it makes me smile

I put 5 cents here, I hope it is ok with you (not being a cheap bastard with 2 cents only).

Rob

So being an asshole makes you proud of yourself? Wow that’s pathetic.

Do you also tell people their $8000 D3x has HALF the pixel pitch of a $100 D1? Because that pretty much shows how stupid what you’re doing is. Then again, you probably think the D1 has better IQ.

MJr

I agree with HoHum Tgun’s sarcasm.

Martin Rock

I Have Both d7k and D700 and the D7000 is turned prosumer, incomparable with the D700 and even less with the d800 which is better in low light

Andrew

I photographer takes pictures, not provide false or misleading information soliciting responses that feeds their perversions.

One comparable feature does not equate to the same capability. It is like saying that the D7000 (at $1,200) is “cheaper and more desirable” than the D4 (at $6,000) because both cameras have the same 16 MP resolution; and the fact that the D4 uses a Full Frame sensor versus the D7000’s smaller sensor is immaterial.

Nicholas W.

to nit pick a bit, the d800 has .10 larger pixel pitch and twice the resolution.

ericnl

ISO-“peepers”?
I don’t think you can use that word this way…

peeping means that you study something up close with too much eye for the false detail. in the case of people who want/need higher ISO, it’s not because they are picky and have unrealistic quality demands, but because they take photos of moving objects or people in dimmed light or at night. at a certain point, with high ISO in darker situations, the blacks just get flooded with red and green mush.

so it has nothing to do with pixel peeping, to see if the shape of the pixel grain is round or not, or even with reducing noise by resampling to less MP, in low light situations at higher ISO’s blacks start looking like colour, no filter or post process can get that out.

Calvin’s husband

Calvin weren’t you the one bitching about the rising cost of dildos for your fat ass?

Calvin

hONEY,

I said, we don’t need your 2 cents, which part of that you cannot understand?

Calvin’s Dildo

Calvin, where are you? I’m cold

Daniel

LMAO!

Ron Scubadiver

Why does my dildo comment get removed but everyone else’s dildo comment is cool as a cumcumber?

Jake

Ok, that one got me.

scOtt

We can put this NR group into socia context.

The Whiners are the socialists, they want everything cheap enough so they all can enjoy. Forget about the profit and or marketing. Even if you charge them $1,799 for the D800, they would still find things to bitch about it.

The rest of us are capitalists, we either put up or shut up. If we like the D800, we have put our orders in already. You know who you are.

BartyL

One thing I’ve noticed about self-confessed ‘capitalists’ is that they spend so much time bitching about ‘socialists’ (a term they don’t actually understand but apply to anyone they don’t like) that I wonder how they find the time to make money.

mixedmetaphors

better you just let the “capitalist” get back to his ayn rand book. that philosophy seems to be working out great… for america’s creditors at least. (“hi, china? we’d like to have another war. no, this time with iran. yeah, so anyway, we’ll be needing to put the whole thing on credit. yes, again.”)

Rob

China owns about 8% of US debt. You can keep believing it’s more than that, but it’s actually going down as they sell it off.

Manuel

China owns about 8% of US debt. You can keep believing it’s more than that, but it’s actually going down as they sell it off.

So, you wonder why they sell it off?

BartyL

I’d love to sit and debate the finer points of this with a fellow intellectual, but that would make me late for my private-sector photography job, where I will spend the day generating promotional materials for a successful engineering firm.

While I am taking photographs and beavering away at Photoshop and Indesign I will reflect upon the following things:

1) Success in life is never solely the result of good management, but always requires an element of good luck;

2) Good luck is not and will never be equally distributed;

3) Some folk lack the imagination to recognise points 1) & 2);

4) The whining of some ‘socialists’ and the sneering disregard for the less-fortunate exhibited by some ‘capitalists’ are informed by precisely the same desire for material security.

Dan

Success also depends greatly on where you were born. I doubt the dude born in Mongolia/N.Korea/… has the same shots at success you do!

BartyL

I agree. That’s one example of the ‘luck’ part of the equation.

D400 = FX

+1

chris

+1

Biff

> “The Whiners are the socialists”

The Nazis went after the socialists & the unions.

Does that make you a Nazi?

There’s this poem Republicans like to dish out while forgetting to use against themselves.

“First they went after the socialists..
Then they went after the unionists..”

Since Republicans abhor the above.. does that make Republicans the actual Nazis that they accuse the socialists & unions of being?

> “they want everything cheap enough so they all can enjoy”

We’re not seeing a lot of complaints about the price here.

Many are complaints about the high megapixels or low max ISO.

The reality of the complaints do not fit the delusions of your claim.

> “Even if you charge them $1,799 for the D800, they would still find things to bitch about”

In the real world: everybody bitches.

Just like you are bitching about something now.

You are putting down socialists for doing something you’ve been caught doing yourself.

> “The rest of us are capitalists, we either put up or shut up”

Bull.

#1 Your socialist vs capitalist metaphor has no place in a product-rumor site.

#2 The reasons you used to back up your claims do not fit reality.

#3 Do you have any idea how much capitalists actually bitches about everything?

They bitch as much as everyone.

Which is normal.

Because they are as human as socialists.

The reason why the workings of the world confuses you is because you are still under the childish notion that things are always black & white.

That capitalists never bitches.

And that socialists always do.

Once you realize that things are all shades of gray;

That capitalists are only human;

And that bitching is a normal process that some people do to less degrees than others; be they capitalist or socialist:

Then your confusion will lessen.

> “If we like the D800, we have put our orders in already”

You realize liberals will also be buying this product?

If they like the product, they’ll put their orders in.

That does not make them capitalists as your sentence implies.

And you realize that conservatives buying this product will also have concerns about its pros & cons?

That does not make them bitching socialists.

As we’ve established: your metaphor is half-baked & in need of more thought.

Dan

“Once you realize that things are all shades of gray;”

Doesn’t that depends on your DR?

D400 = FX

Nope, but on grey matter.

Benedictus XVI

Thought to discover photograpic thinking, but discovered a bad forum about socialism…
But what know most of US citizens about socialism except propaganda???

Going back to photography: A good thing would be ISO mount for FF (and some for other format) bodies/lenses? No more trolls on ISO/Mpx, Canon/Nikon ! Every photographer can choose lenses and bodies compatible with his/her needs, no more lens captive!

I think it rather obvious that the whiners are the folk who don’t make as much money as they think they should and spend their days listening to talk radio and watching Faux News where they are told how everything in life is some conspiracy run by the Jews (aka ‘elites’), blacks (aka ‘welfare recipients’), hispanics (aka ‘immigrants’). And this makes them feel better about the fact that they didn’t get into college, didn’t ever make over 50K a year and nobody wants to listen to them rant on about politics.

Half the stuff people spout in rants about the wonders of capitalism actually comes from the work of Karl Marx. He gave it the name capitalism for a start.

Anyone who thinks that absolute economic truth was discovered by a guy who died before the invention of the internal combustion engine, powered flight and A/C electrical power is an idiot. Capital was the main limiting resource in the 19th century, it is far less important today.

The whiners have no clue about technology so why imagine that they would have any clue about politics? they are just whiners and so they join the political movement dedicated to whining.

@Danny
I’m not sure, I ordered mine Tuesday from B&H, I checked again today, they take pre-orders but I don’t know if it will be for the first shipping batch.

Camaman

So the fact is that this is actually a one year old camera… Great!
Just great!

PB PM

You forget that Canon suffered from the same problem, thus the 5D MKIII is not available yet either. All technology is out of date by the time it hits the market. Don’t get your shorts in a knot.

elph

I’ve seen a large amount of ignorant and uninformed comments as of late, what’s going on?

Ralphy

They’re coming over from the Canon forums.

Camaman

It was a joke! But also truth.

Zen-Tao

Where have they gotten so many D800 those photographs?. I’m eager to watch resolution chart test of both cameras. With 36mpx It will be indispenssable to purchase a soft filter with the lense otherwise we’ll show all kind of specks, pimples, etc of our devastated models or brides. Let’s be patient and wait for seeing comparatives made from serious sites.

Aldo

what a rip off– $450 for a grip? It doesn’t do anything that the grip of the D7000 does. It doesn’t even ad speed or nothing.

Travis

I agree. Charging that much for a piece of plastic to hold batteries is out of line. I bet the actual cost to make the grip is $10.00. Boycott the grip until they charge reasonable prices.

http://www.seanmolin.com Sean Molin

Definitely not plastic. If you’ve ever actually used a Nikon-brand grip, you’ll know why they aren’t cheap. They are solid magnesium, weather-sealed, and feel like an absolute extension of the camera.

With that said, I have no freaking clue why this version is DOUBLE the price of my MB-D10. But, it makes enough of a difference to me that I will most certainly buy one. The off-brand ones get the job done… but there’s a noticeable difference, and it’s definitely worth the extra if you make a living using it.

Jason

I have the Nikon-brand battery grips for both my D200 and D700, and love them as well. However, the price magically doubling for the MB-D12 just doesn’t make any sense to me. I’m going to hold off on picking one up until I’ve shot with my D800 without one to see if I *really* miss it or not. It’s definitely going to feel weird, that’s for sure…

Also a concern is that I’m unsure what the battery life will be like on the D800 – definitely ordering extra batteries right out of the gate just to be prepared.

LightHouse

So if MB-D10 Multi Power Battery Pack was for D700/D300s/D300, does that mean MB-D12 will also support another body other than D800 like D400?

sl

Just got off the phone with B&H. They received about 1500 preorders for the D800/D800E on the very first day the link went live. Not sure how many they have by now. Given that Nikon is probably still ramping up capacity I think it’s going to be very long time before this camera is sitting on the shelves, probably early 2013. I remember when the 5DII first came out it was impossible to get in the first 6 months.

Hom Thogan

Anyone care to explain why pay 3,000 bucks for a camera that has the same photosite size of the D7000 that costs 1,199?

I mean I know you are all busy fapping hobos and spitting your “old” D700, but entertain me with an explanation after you end and use fapkins to clean yourself a little :).

julie

What you don’t know won’t hurt you, just save the money for the D900.

http://www.seanmolin.com Sean Molin

Even though I feel like I really shouldn’t have to answer this question, I will… only because I’ve now seen this “argument” several times.

This argument is similar to comparing the number of cylinders in an engine. So what if the cylinder size is the same? You’re going to get A LOT more displacement and horsepower out of the W-16 than the V-8 even if the individual cylinders are the same size.

Then to continue this car theme, you’re talking about the V-8 in a Corvette vs the W-16 in a Bugatti. There are several other factors OTHER than the engine.

The build difference will be substantial. The amount and quality of other tech updates is substantial. But of course, most importantly and obviously… THE SENSOR IS WAY BIGGER. So what if the pixel density is the same? There are freaking more of them!

Johnaldo Giovanni

Reading these comments are a riot.

I cannot believe how many people are complaining about this amazing camera. I mean, I know that it is impossible to please everyone, but my goodness – settle down.

Here we have an affordable FX camera with resolution AND noise that beats the D3x. It is (IMO) THE digital camera for those who shoot a mix of subjects and locations (like me).

I do commercial interiors/exteriors, portraits, head shots, product, food, weddings, my own personal work, landscapes etc… and have been dipping my toe into video for the last 6 months now (with the 5D2).

This camera is EXACTLY what I want in a digital SLR, and I cannot complain one bit about it. Sure, I wish it had a few more bells and whistles, but realistically I will never actually use them. Heck, I doubt I’ll end up using 70% of the features this beauty offers…

It has enough of everything for me to print big, small and everywhere in between. It has great video features. AF that’s the same as the D4! Great noise control. Great everything.
All wrapped up in a lightweight, portable and adaptable body. What more can we realistically ask for?

Compared to my D300 and D3, this thing is perfect and will probably be the longest lasting camera in my kit. I could see myself using this baby for well over 5 years.

Not that it matters to anyone what I think. But seeing all the bickering and complaining made me want to post. : )

If it isn’t what you wanted or were expecting, then maybe your expectations were out of line or maybe what you want is unreasonable.

To read the positive testimonies of the working pros who were blessed with the ability to actually shoot with it is all I need. These pros make their living off their work and if this tool meets their needs or opens up possibilities for them, the it will do the same for me.

Nikon has never let me down. (Canon on the other hand… ugh.)

Be at peace, go out and capture some images.

Ciao
: )

Been there guy

You hit the nail right on these pin heads!

Those whiners probably didn’t have enough budget to get one, they just like to flap their gums to subdue their cravings for the D800. Simply put it, sour grapes for them.

Robert Falconer

As a wise man once said, “Those who can, do.”

http://www.seanmolin.com Sean Molin

+1,000,000

http://www.spark-creative.co.uk/photography.html Mark Astle

This. I do pretty much the same kind of work. I’ve been doing it on a D300 quite happily up to now, taking pics, earning money. Now it’s upgrade time…

jorg

+1³

Jason

Bravo, and well said.

Dominik

Of course the circumstances were heartbreaking but I’m glad the D800’s release was delayed because they’ve had more time to test it.

It’s worth mentioning that over 3 1/2 years the D700 only required 2 firmware updates to the 5Dmk2’s 10 or so. I’d much rather Nikon took their time developing a product than rushing it out the door.

andre

think the 5d II had lots of updates due to its video recording capabilities… but fair point.

Rob

Looks like the mb-d12 has the joystick style selector, though that still doesn’t make it worth the spend for me…wish they’d have put this on the body too though understand given the audience it was designed for.

Dominik

Looks no different to the MB-D10, only more expensive and takes a different battery.

Susan G.

Did anyone force you to buy it in any way, form or shape? If they do, please report to your local authority right away. It’s crime.

Dominik

The grip is overpriced, but then if you’re going to spend $3K on a camera body (and would surely have a significant investment in pro glass to go with it otherwise you’re not getting anywhere near 36mp), then $500 for a grip is not going to be a deal breaker.

http://kennethsolfjeld.blogspot.com/ Kenneth$

Im most likely going to buy the D800E. Its probably the greatest DSLR Nikon ever made. But im not to happy with the sample shots presented on the Nikon website, they look unsharp and fuzzy. But they probably only did some moderate postprocessing and not too much sharpening. But the worrying thing is that the D800E looks a bit off too. Almost all the pics are shot at f/8, so it could be some diffraction kicking in. Im not shure. Judge for your self.. http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d800/sample02.htm

Dominik

Pixel peeping is all good and well, but will any of it be an issue in the final print? I doubt it.

This is primarily a studio camera and for use in the field in optimal conditions. Use Nikon’s best lenses at their sharpest apertures, get the lighting right at base ISO, extract the maximum amount of detail possible from those RAW files sharpening them correctly, and you’ll be very close to medium format for a fraction of the cost.

This is not a D700 replacement or a logical step up – calling it a D800 was purely a marketing decision and a smart one at that. If anything the D800 complements the D700 so to cover every situation you should have both cameras (or a D3s/D4).

It’s possible the D400 will be more of a ‘D700 replacement’ because there’s now a big gap in the range between the D7000 and D800 and a 16-24mp FF D400 would fill that nicely.

PeterO

Indeed Dominik. Now that we are beyond the infancy stage of digital cameras, the camera makers are moving away from “a camera for all purposes”. The D800 has applications that work better in some situations than others, which is as it should be. There is a definite pattern emerging though, where the past king of the hill is replaced by a far less expensive model: D2x by the D300 and now the D3x by the D800. As for the D400 being FF, I’m not sure about that because price points will need to be carefully considered. I think there is still a need for a flagship DX, so if that remains about the same as the D300, then it would be around $1,700. Your FF D400 would need to stay somewhere around $2,200 -$2,400 to differentiate it from the D800. However, then the question of how many models does Nikon actually want to (and can) produce comes into play.

Dominik

Peter, I think an update to the D7000 which is now 18 months old, D8000(?), with further improvements in AF, weather sealing, etc. would be a worthy upgrade from the D300s.

Canon now has the 1DX to compete against the D4 and it replaces the 1.3x crop sensor 1D mkIV, leaving the 7D as the best crop sensor camera in the range (currently competing with the D7000).

A range that looks like this should accommodate most photographers:

D4x – medium format size sensor (MX) given the D800 is already at the limit of what’s practical on FX and no one is going to buy pro body with the D800 sensor for the studio when the D800 will do just fine for a lot less. They can’t keep cramming more pixels onto a 36x24mm sensor. This of course would require a new range of lenses with a larger mount but it’s the next logical step for Nikon in the pursuit of better IQ and as an alternative to Hasselblad, Phase One, etc.

D4 – fast, high ISO pro camera for action.

D800 – high res FX format studio camera

D400 – fast FF camera in a smaller body with similar features to the D4, filling the void left by the D700.

D8000 – flagship DX camera. One of the cheaper models would then take the place of the D7000.

What do you think?

Rob

Dominik,

In this situation, why would anyone buy a D4, when they can just buy a D400 for less than half the price? More megapixels, similar features, all for a fraction of the cash.

I’m not confident that Nikon will intro a FF D400. The D700 ate into the D3 sales. Why intro a FF camera that will eat into sales of a D800 AND a D4?

Also it seems like the DX gap widens with your theory. I’m not as familiar with Nikon’s DX product line these days, but it seems like that would open up a gap somewhere in DX (you’ve marked a cheaper model as taking over from the D7000, which would leave a gap elsewhere). It also means Nikon would be changing their product numbering/placement association four times:
— D700 (from entry FF, excellent ISO) –> D800 (to studio cam)
–D300S (from high end DX) –> D400 (to entry FF)
–D7000 (from medium DX) –> D8000 (to high end DX)
–other model (from low-end DX) –> replace D7000 (to medium DX)

That’s a lot of changes to the “brand” of each product line. It doesn’t seem likely that Nikon will make that many changes and leave existing naming conventions intact, as they have for the D800.

I suspect that the D800 product was very intentionally called a D800. Not for marketing alone, but because Nikon truly believes this is the replacement for the D700, like it or not. It keeps (and appears to slightly improve on) low noise, increases MP count and adds video to compete with Canon, and adds updated features (AF, dual card slots–albeit a SD/CF mix) from the D4. It’s very much like the concept of the D700, except the leapfrog over Canon is in MP count rather than low light performance (although that remains to be seen depending on the MK3). The MP vs low light choice is likely to protect the realm of the D4 (and grab another type of marketshare?).

Also consider the product series numbering Nikon uses. Nikon doesn’t use the same “sequel” names when they make major product positioning changes to their series. All of the following product lines have been consistent with their placement for years.

Rather than seeing the D700 as a low light monster, I think Nikon sees the D700 as a great all-around entry FF camera with excellent low light capabilities. Based on the samples I’ve seen, the D800 is also that, but with some added MP to enhance its appeal to people who need it (and dynamic range). It’s a fantastic entry FF camera for people who want a FF camera, and it is priced as such. Seems consistent. I’ve pre-ordered one, and when it arrives I’ll be comparing it to my D700 rather carefully. I might eat my words then, but we’ll see.

Nikon could break convention and do crazy things with their product lineup. But I don’t think that’s likely. We’ll know soon enough.

Dominik

Rob, I guess we’ll find out soon, but I genuinely don’t see the D800 as a D700 replacement.

The D800 is essentially a studio camera that can also work well in the field in optimal lighting conditions or for landscape photography, much like the 5Dmk2 which for years Nikon had no answer to, but it’s not a general purpose full frame camera like the D700 (which Canon never had an answer to either, i.e. a ‘3D’). 4fps vs. the D700’s 8fps with grip is a significant difference.

I believe there is definitely room in the range for a slightly faster semi-pro FF model with medium resolution and if Canon beefs up the AF and fps specs on the 5Dmk3 or releases a 5DX, the void left by the discontinued D700 will become more apparent.

And what happens to DX? A D8000 model designed to be a D300s replacement at a D7000 price could occupy that slot.

As for a full frame D400 (or D700s) eating into D4 sales, that would only happen if it was close in speed and high ISO like the D700 was with the D3 since they shared the same sensor.

An 18-24mp FX sensor, 6fps, ISO 100-12,800, 51pt AF and 91K metering, just above the $2K mark, would complement the D800 nicely. Not everyone needs 36mp and 4fps will be too slow in some situations. Pros would continue to buy a D4 for its superior build quality, 10fps, and ridiculous 204K ISO and enthusiasts who will never pay $7000 for a D4 and don’t need 36mp will have a camera to spend their money on.

I’ve pre-ordered a D800 to complement my two D700s however for wedding photography there is no way I’m going to shoot the whole day in 36mp and burn through my CF cards and watch NX2 crawl through the batch conversion process later. That would be serious overkill given all but a handful of images will ever be printed larger than A3. Aside from a handful of portraits and group shots, it’ll be on 15.4mp DX crop with a 70-200 or 85 1.4, and my D700 will cover the wide end.

Let’s face it, a lot of people are in for a big surprise when they start downloading 75MB .NEF files off their cards (even with USB 3.0) and see how it changes their workflow from storage to batch processing times. Going from 12mp to 36mp is a huge step up so it’d be nice to have an affordable FX alternative somewhere between those two extremes.

Rob

Looks like I can’t post on your new comment, so I’ll post on this one instead.

I suppose what would be most confusing to me in your scenario is why Nikon would debut the D800 before the D400. It seems like they’d want to show off a camera that directly replaces the D700, then layer a second, unexpected camera (hi resolution D800) a few months later. Sorta a one-two punch to Canon.

Instead, they’ve released a D800 which, I’ll admit, doesn’t feel exactly like a D700 replacement. It seems like this would be a good way to make customers angry…debut a camera that doesn’t fit their expectations, then debut a second one (in August, I’ve heard?) that does, but much later and after some people have bought the wrong camera. People like to know the lay of the land before investing in equipment, especially if they can only purchase one camera. But that’s just my logic.

By the way, after your response, I realized that I’m using the same name as many other Robs in this thread. For the record, these two posts are the only times I’ve commented on NikonRumors.

Dominik

“why Nikon would debut the D800 before the D400.”

I hear you Rob, but they’ll make more money this way because there was more hype surrounding the D800 than any other Nikon camera (D700x/D800 rumors go all the way back to 2009), and quite a few people will buy a 36mp camera pitched as the D700 replacement even if they don’t need that kind of resolution. Nikon shooters have been crying out for affordable high res ever since the 5Dmk2 was announced in 2008 and that $8000 D3x dangling way out of reach was a constant (and painful) reminder.

Later in the year if a new FF is released as a more logical step up from the D700, whatever it’s called, it won’t take the shine off the D800 release. Calling it a D700s would make sense but then that ship has sailed. All Nikon’s marketing points to the fact the D800 replaces it, end of discussion.

On the subject of DX, since the 1.5x DX crop mode on the D800 gives you 15.4mp @ 6fps w/ grip essentially doubling as a D7000 or slightly slower D300s (8fps w/ grip), it will be very tempting for those who invested in DX and now have the money to dive into full frame, even though it’s still a lot more expensive than a D300s. If they’re fine with 6fps they’re not going to miss anything and they can still get mileage out of their DX lenses.

In fact that’s what really sold me on the D800 even though I personally was hoping for an 18-24mp sensor. The crop mode on the D700 was useless at 5mp, but on a 36mp sensor it’s a game changer. 1.5x 15.4mp and 1.2x 25.1mp, along with 30.2mp 5:4. If you don’t mind sacrificing a little on the wide end that’s effectively 28-85 with 24-70 or 16-28 with 14-24 and you’ve still got 25mp files. Incredibly versatile.

Andre

Yeh – D800 won’t be replacing my D700’s. Will be purely for studio and landscapes. Everything else will still be D700 – i still love that camera! but I’m not getting the D800e cause i don’t want to worry about the extra post processing for just a bit more sharpness… I think the people who want/need the d800e know who they are – if you’re unsure then i’de go for the d800… like me…

Dominik

I ordered a D800 because the AA filter looks reasonably weak judging by the sample images and moiré is a PITA to remove later when it does show up just for the sake of a little more sharpness. Applying some USM to the D800 samples already looks good enough for me.

David

Hi Kenneth did you check out Milan Josipovic’s tiff download? It is from a 800E and it shows that it can shot sharp.
cheers

http://kennethsolfjeld.blogspot.com/ Kenneth$

Do you have a link?

http://kennethsolfjeld.blogspot.com/ Kenneth$

Nevermind. Found it at top of the page..

PeterO

@Kenneth$
Thom Hogan just shared some information about diffraction in the D800e.

Doug

Nikon was a bit of a whore with the XQD™, but when it came to my needs like the ISO and price, i have to tell i was impressed, we all suspected that the camera has been partially ready for a while, but we know that now most of us will get the camera on the first batches because of high stocks, with this Nikon will have better sales projections for the medium term future as well, so will keep a controlled stock production ratio to keep the prices competitive with whatever canon has in the pipelines, i went on the very first day and paid the 20% deposit to pre order from Jessops UK, i know they suck but the have insurance for 3 yr for £149.

I just ordered The d800E, I was tired of not making up my mind. I do a lot of real estate and fashion and beauty. I think this might be the best for me since I want to get as close to medium format as I can.

sobeit

According to Canon Rumors, there is the rumor, with a large grain of salt, that the Canon 5d is going to be split in a 5D X 45 MP and a 5D Mark III 22 MP.

I would not be surprised if the 100 MP is reached in a year or 2.

Andre

just when i thought the megapixel battle was almost over…

Zim

I’ll wait and while and see what the D400 looks like. More in my budget

http://Schists.com Barry Bonds

lol cliff is a decent photog but his sample images are next to useless. Talk about over processing? some of the brides look like they have glass eyes filled with white paint and radioactive skin.

Andre

He does say that on his site that he has post processed them and you can’t judge from his images… but i agree – what can you judge then… they look as good as any of his other stuff…

Dominik

From Cliff’s blog: As my studio manager, Noelle Andrews points out, “The resolution and detail in these files are so high that when being retouched at 100% it doesn’t look like there is as much retouching, so when it is sized down the retouching looks exaggerated.” I absolutely agree.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you’re planning on doing very large prints with 36mp files, you’ll need to spend even more time and effort carefully retouching skin, etc. because any apparent loss of texture will be visible.

It’s essentially a studio camera which demands even more attention to perfect lighting and hair and makeup. What was sufficient for 12mp output won’t cut the mustard near medium format resolution and that’s why you usually see large teams involved with fashion photography. Anyone can produce decent looking images for websites and Facebook where fine detail can’t be scrutinized. Producing flawless large prints is a completely different ballgame.

I think 36MP in a 24x36mm sensor is pretty much as far as we should take it. We’re already hitting diffraction around F/9 and need lenses that give us 2456 LP/PH resolution.

For instance:

Nikon 24-70 F/2.8 exceeds this in almost every focal length wide open (extreme corners at 40mm being where it falls only a tad below). So you should see quite a difference between a D700 and a D800 image shot with this lens.

However, the D800 simply has more resolution than a Nikon 28-300 F/3.5-5.6 can deliver in some configurations, even when stopped down to F/5.6. At 28mm you’ll need to go to F/5.6 to bring the borders in line and then to F/8 to bring the extreme borders in line. You’ll still see more detail in the D800 versus D700 shot, but the D800 sensor is simply out-performing the lens at times, whereas the D700 sensor does not.

Alex

While I was skeptical of the low-light performance of 36.3 mpx crammed onto a sensor, my jaw dropped when I saw the ISO 3200 and 6400 samples. Though not comparable with the D4 and D3s, I really don’t see what the whiners are complaining about. The D800 is a pioneering camera; there is no other digital camera system that, on a price per performance basis, provides such rich and detailed images as the D800 appears to be providing.

Bravo, Nikon.

Josh

Wow this sight really needs to start moderating comments!

Larry R

I just got notification from Amazon that my D800 will ship between January 8-11 2013! Seriously???

Andrei

MB-D12 is way too expensive for what it does.
No radio transmission , no wi-fi, come on, is it worth the cost? think not.
I’m going to buy an aftermarket grip if Nikon won’t get into their senses.